TGIF: Serendipity!

This week’s gratitude is dedicated to an inanimate force that I’ve been particularly aware of this week: serendipity, or unexpected but fortunate events. Ever since I found out that chocolate chip cookies are the result of just such an accident (no, really!), I’ve had a real appreciation of serendipity. It has been especially noticeable this week.

I went to an event that a client invited me to, celebrating the (hopefully game-changing) approval of B Corps status in Delaware, where nearly half of all US private corporations are registered. As I got ice water at the bar (to fight the record-breaking NYC heat), a senior gentleman approached the bar, and asked me why I was at the event. We chatted about Inspiring Capital, my vision for autonomous and efficient social enterprises (rather than grant-dependent non-profits), before finally introducing ourselves.

Not only was my random new acquaintance the man that my client had most come to see, but also Alan Patricof: an idol and icon for any entrepreneur with a passion for the power of wise investing.

Of course, I had the relationships to know about the event, made the effort to attend, and done the work to have stories to engage my idol in conversation. (In other words, my lucky serendipity was facilitated by years of practice.)

Nonetheless, I am grateful to the forces responsible for this and countless other serendipitous encounters that I have always allowed to shape my work and life.